Wakes challenged to hit winning run

Bourne Town players celebrate a goal during their derby draw with Blackstones.

Published:15:54Thursday 04 January 2018

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Joint Bourne boss Jimmy McDonnell has thrown down the gauntlet to his players ahead of a crucial run of United Counties League fixtures.

Bourne are scheduled to host Bugbrooke St Michael at the Abbey Lawn on Saturday having dropped down to 13th place in the Division One standings after seeing three of their last five league games postponed.

Last Saturday’s home match with Huntingdon was called off due to a waterlogged pitch at the Abbey Lawn and McDonnell is keen for his charges to get a stop-start season back up and running again.

They picked up four points over the festive period from an away victory at Melton and a home derby draw with Blackstones and McDonnell now wants his side to set off on another winning run.

He said: “It has been stop-start recently and it hasn’t done us any favours, but we can’t do anything about it and there are a lot of clubs in the same position.

“Instead of having one long season, we’re having two small ones.

“We’ve done very well in the first half so can we do better in the second half?

“We need to get going again because in four or five weeks the games will be coming thick and fast.

“We have got a good, honest bunch who are all in it together, but we now need to start getting some points back-to-back.

“We’re not going to stay unbeaten for the rest of the season, but we do need a run of four or five wins to get us to where I think we should be.”

Saturday’s home match is followed by away trips to Lutterworth Athletic and Irchester United in the coming weekends.

Lutterworth and Irchester currently occupy the two places above a Wakes side who, despite their 13th position, are only 10 points off third place in a keenly-contested division.

McDonnell added: “In another month or so, the division will even out and we’ll see what teams are in and around us.

“We need to show steel and get on with it at a time when the pitches are sticky and the weather and conditions are horrible.

“When we have dropped points this season though, the lads have got straight back on it and have shown a willingness to not lay down and get beaten.

“Everyone is prepared to support each other.

“It’s a very close division and we have always gone into games prepared to battle, scrap and work hard because, if you turn up thinking you’re going to walk away with it, then you’ll come unstuck.

“The biggest thing this year has been the strength of the players on the bench. Another season they would have been all starting.

“Andrew Moss has done fantastically recently and Jordan Avis has been playing the best football since he’s been at the club, but they are prepared to support the likes of Jack Bottreill and Jack Corby when they got their chance.”